


Learning to Fly

by the_technicolor_whiscash



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Canon-Compliant, F/M, Kissing, i love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 08:07:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13477266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_technicolor_whiscash/pseuds/the_technicolor_whiscash
Summary: Philip has fallen for Anne. Hard. And he knows she loves him back. It's only a matter of time.





	Learning to Fly

**Author's Note:**

> I love these two they're precious

Philip was in love. He knew, from the second he met Anne, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But he also knew it would be risky. He had already lost his inheritance when he decided to work with the circus, alongside the respect of everyone he knew from his old life. But Anne would be worth it. She was beautiful, and kind, and so incredibly talented. She flew through the air with impossible ease, sending Philip’s heart racing. 

He found himself leaning against the bleachers in the circus, watching as she practiced. After a few moments, Anne noticed him, and swung down to the floor. 

Anne approached him, but stayed a strategic difference away. “Thought you had gone home already.”

“I was doing paperwork for a while. Time kind of got away from me.” It wasn’t a lie. But he was also killing time so that he could see her. She usually stayed later than anyone else, given the demands of her trapeze stunts. “How… how are you?”

“I’m alright. You?”

“I’m fine. Though I am a little worried about the circus’s finances. Hopefully this gambit of P.T’s will work. We’ve already spent an insane amount of money on it.”

“We’ll be fine. All else fails, you two can charm the bank out of some more money.”

“We’ve already borrowed enough to fund a small country. I don’t know if charms will work anymore.” 

“I’m sure you’ll come up with something.” 

“I hope you’re right.” He looked up at the various trapeze ropes hanging from the ceiling. “Are you ever scared? When you’re flying around like that.”

“Sure I am. Fear keeps you on your feet. It keeps you from falling.”

“I would never have guessed. You always looks so confident.” 

Anne’s eyes scanned his face. “Tell me why you’re still here. I know it wasn’t paperwork.”

Philip sighed. “Well, it was. Partially. But I just… I wanted to see you.”

“Philip, we’ve talked about this. It just wouldn’t work. You and me. I wish it could, but we’re just too different.” 

Philip took a hesitant step forward, his voice betraying his despair. “I don’t think we are, Anne.” 

She noticed his step, but didn’t back away. “How? Tell me, how are we similar?”

“The circus is our family. We’ve both given up everything for it. And we’re both afraid.” His voice caught in his throat. “I have no idea what my future holds. But I know… I know I want it to be with you.”

Anne closed her eyes and turned her head away. “I want to be with you too. So, so badly. But I don’t want you to wake up one day and regret it.”

“I love you, Anne. More ardently than I’ve loved anyone before. I could never regret that.” Philip reached out and gently took her hand into his. “Please, Anne.”

“God, Philip.” She turned back to him, eyes welling with tears. “You make this so hard for me.”

Without thinking, Philip cupped a hand around her face, closing the distance between them with a kiss. After a moment of hesitation, he felt her begin to kiss back. Her hand found its way into his hair, pulling them even closer together. He closed his eyes, feeling his heart soar. 

Suddenly, Anne pulled away, leaving Philip startled. “Shit. We shouldn’t have done that.” 

“Anne–”

“I have to go.” 

Before Philip could reply, Anne ran off. After a moment, he started after her, but she was already gone. 

Philip took a deep breath. He knew he shouldn’t have made that impulse decision. Now, she would probably try to avoid him, and he could barely stand the thought of it. He adored her, and to not be able to see her made him want to throw up. 

He walked back to his office and collapsed on the couch. His thoughts raced, trying to find any possible way to fix this. Eventually, he fell asleep, exhausted from the day’s events. 

——————

Philip awoke the next morning finding that someone had thrown a blanket over him, though he had no idea who. He stumbled to his feet and ran a hand through his hair, eyes bleary with exhaustion. He slowly made his way down the stairs, where most of the performers were already gathered, working on their acts. But he noticed that Anne wasn’t among them. 

He spotted Lettie, who was consulting several other performers. “Morning, Lettie.”

“Yikes. Did you sleep here?”

“Maybe. Do I look that bad?”

“You look exhausted. Is something wrong?”

He sighed. “Yes. Have you seen Anne?”

“Not yet today.” Lettie raised an eyebrow. “What happened between you two? Break up?”

“It would have been, if we were even together in the first place.”

Her expression became sympathetic. “I’m sorry. If you ever need to talk to someone, I’m here for you. And I’m sure any of the other performers would be willing to help.”

“Thanks, Lettie. I really needed that.”

“I know you did.” 

Philip thought for a moment about what to do. Until Anne showed up, he would have no way to talk to her. Instead, he worked his way back to his office and decided to write a letter to someone else who might be able to help: P.T.

_Greetings, Phineas._

_I know you have been away for awhile, and so I wanted to ask for your advice on a subject that has occurred since your departure. Namely, the subject of me and Anne. It is well known that she and I share an interest in each other, and thus I made an impulse decision regarding our relationship. Namely, I kissed her. And though she seemed to enjoy it, she then pushed me away, and I have not seen her since. It is almost certain that she is avoiding me._

_I have no idea what to do. And so that’s why I penned this letter to you. I figured you may be able to lend me advice on such a delicate matter. (And no, indoor fireworks are not going to solve this problem.)_

_Please respond ASAP._

_Your troubled protege, P. Carlyle._

After glancing over the letter one last time, he folded it into an envelope and brought it to the post. Hopefully it would get to P.T. soon, so that he could give advice that he could actually use. 

——————

Philip didn’t see Anne until the show, and even then, he only saw her briefly. She disappeared immediately after, confirming his fears that she was avoiding him. He felt physically ill. It was no wonder that people talked about being lovesick; it definitely happened. 

This went on for about a week, and by the end, Philip wondered if this would end up killing him. Luckily, he received a letter in return from P.T, hopefully affording him the advice he so desperately needed.

_Hello, Philip._

Barnum’s handwriting was as erratic as his personality. 

_I am very familiar with the issues that come with being in love. It can make one do stupid things. You can forget to eat, forget to sleep, and forget how to act like a normal person._

_You must remember, something like this takes time. I know you two have had a certain fondness for each other for a while, which is a good start. Just go slow, be kind, and let her know how much you appreciate her. Speaking of that, I should probably write to my wife._

_You’re a good man, Philip. I’m sure you’ll be alright in the end. I expect the circus to be in tip-top shape when I get back._

_Your most esteemed mentor, P.T. Barnum._

It boosted his confidence to read P.T’s letter. If nothing else, the man had faith in him. And he gave Philip the advice he needed. 

Philip found Anne in the costume room, a few minutes before that night’s show. She saw him coming, clearly sighing before he approached her. 

“Anne. Can we talk? But, uh, only if you want to.”

“The show’s starting soon.”

“I know. I know. It’s just, you’ve been avoiding me. And we need to talk about what happened.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry about it. I didn’t stop to consider whether or not you might have wanted to kiss me.”

“I did. I do. That doesn’t mean I think we should.” 

“I understand. And if you don’t want to be friends anymore, I can understand that. We won’t need to talk unless it’s about the show.” 

“I don’t want that. Really, I don’t. But I’m just not sure how we can make it work as friends.”

Philip’s face fell. “I love you, Anne. But if you really don’t want to talk anymore, I will respect that.” 

Anne nodded. Her voice grew small. “Thank you.”

Philip forced a slight smile. “Well then. Let’s get this show on the road.”

They stood in their respective spots before the show opened. At the last second, Anne leaned into his ear and whispered, “You know, you’re a good kisser.”

Philip felt his face turn as red as his suit. The show began, and it took a second for him to focus back on the task at hand. 

——————

The rest of the show went on without a hitch. Soon, he and Anne fell into a sort of balance, neither getting too close but also not straying too far. Philip was content, but he missed being closer with her. He still longed to feel her lips on his, to spend hours talking to her about everything and nothing. He still loved her, possibly more than ever before. 

And then, the fire. The thought of the possibility of losing her was just too awful. So he went after her. 

The smoke was too great. He couldn’t breathe. 

He saw a figure running towards him as the world turned to black. 

When he finally came to, he was in a hospital, in an immense amount of pain. He had no idea how he had gotten there, or how he had even managed to survive the experience. But he saw that Anne was there. 

“Anne.” Philip whispered, his voice hoarse. 

Anne’s eyes lit up, and before she even spoke, she kissed him. He could tell she was trying to be gentle, but at that moment, he had forgotten about his pain. He just wanted to kiss her and never let go. 

“I’m sorry.” Anne muttered, when she finally pulled away. “I’ve been such a fool.”

“No, you haven’t. You’ve been rational. And you’ve been afraid. So was I.” He gently brushed his fingers along her cheek. “I’m not afraid anymore, Anne.” 

Anne leaned her head into his hand, tears slowly spilling out of her eyes. “God, when I heard that you had run into that fire, I thought I had lost you. It made me realize that I don’t want to live without you. I love you, Philip.”

“And I love you, Anne. I… I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

A smile spread across her face. “Of course.” Her smile faltered. “Though I wonder what your parents will think.”

“I gave up on listening to their opinions the second I left for the circus. I’m more worried about what W.D. will think.”

“I’m sure my brother will be fine with it, so long as you don’t do anything stupid.”

“Well, I already ran into a burning building, so there’s nothing much worse I can do than that.” 

“But you did do it for a good reason. And to be fair, P.T. did run in after you, so you’re not the only one who made that decision.”

“Good point.” A thought suddenly struck his mind. “What’ll happen to the circus, now that the building’s gone, I wonder?”

“I’m sure you and P.T’ll figure something out. You’re smart guys. And if you don’t, I’m sure we can always go on a road tour or something.”

“That’s actually not a bad idea. Mention that to the boss man next time you see him.”

“I will.” She yawned. “I should probably head home now that you’re awake. Catch up on some rest.”

Philip looked at her in awe. “You’ve been at my side this whole time?”

“Of course I have. I wasn’t about to let you just be here alone. Plus if you had… you know… I just didn’t want to take any chances.”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.” He slid over in the hospital bed. It was small, but they could squeeze. “Just lay here for now. It’ll be easier than going home.” 

“You sure? It’ll be a tight fit. I might have to lay my head on your shoulder.”

“By all means, do.”

Anne smiled, a genuine, beautiful, happy smile as she laid down in the hospital bed beside him. It was tight, and Philip’s burns were still in pain, but he didn’t care. Anne was there, her head on his chest, and she loved him just as much as he loved her. 

And for once, it felt as though all was well.

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally going to be a lot shorter but it kind of got away from me and i have no regrets


End file.
